Six lunar spacecraft planned for launch by Roscosmos space agency
Space Race 2.0: Russia's Lunar Missions and International Partnerships
Get your space helmets ready, folks! It's time to journey back to the Moon as Russia prepares to launch an exciting array of spacecraft. The cosmic lineup includes the orbital spacecraft "Luna-26" and "Luna-29", as well as landers for various lunar territories such as "Luna-27" No 1 and No 2, "Luna-28", "Luna-30", and more, according to reports by Russia's state-owned news agency, TASS.
Dmitry Bakhanov, head of Roscosmos – Russia's state space agency, also hinted at a groundbreaking joint project with China: the International Lunar Scientific Station. Unlike the clandestine Cold War space race, this collaborative effort is inviting almost a dozen countries to join the lunar exploration party, including Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bolivia, Venezuela, Djibouti, Egypt, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Senegal, Serbia, Thailand, South Africa, and Ethiopia.
If ol' Blue had a passport, it would probably be stamped more times than a seasoned globetrotter. Bakhanov underscores the importance of a second earthside outpost in space, pointing out that conquest requires a significant investment of personnel, funds, and administrative resources. With the help of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) nations, humanity's lunar dreams might soon become lunar realities.
Following the unsatisfactory crash of "Luna-25" in August 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the resumption of Russia's lunar program in April 2022. While Russia continues to work out the kinks to ensure a smoother lunar voyage, the Moon stands patiently, waiting for its cosmic carnival to commence.
Stay tuned for more updates on Russia's lunar expeditions – strap in, it's going to be a wild ride!
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- Did You Know?
- The Luna program, launched by the Soviet Union, was the first series of spacecraft to impact and return lunar samples from the Moon between 1959 and 1976.
- The International Lunar Scientific Station (ILRS), a joint initiative by Russia and China, aims to establish a lunar base by 2035, complete with a nuclear reactor powering the outpost. This ambitious project hopes to attract international collaboration and may see the construction of shelters on the lunar surface.
- In addition to Russia's planned lunar missions, efforts are being added to establish the International Lunar Scientific Station (ILRS) in collaboration with China, inviting over a dozen countries such as Belarus to join the lunar exploration party.
- The moon, patiently waiting, may soon become the site of a second earthside outpost in space, thanks to the joint lunar efforts of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) nations and other countries, as stated by Dmitry Bakhanov, head of Roscosmos.
- Despite the unsatisfactory crash of "Luna-25" in August 2023, Russia is resuming its lunar program as announced by President Vladimir Putin in April 2022, with an aim to learn more about the moon through space-and-astronomy and technology.
- The Luna program, originally launched by the Soviet Union, paved the way for lunar exploration by being the first series of spacecraft to impact and return lunar samples from the moon between 1959 and 1976, setting the stage for Russia's current and future lunar missions.
